Friday Faves

Hey hey! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? It’s scorching hot here, so I told the kids that they can swim and they’re PUMPED. We also have a soccer game, a bday party, a carnival at the kid’s school, and I’m teaching barre and training clients. It will be a busy but fun one. 🙂 I hope you have an amazing weekend, too!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below!

Friday Faves

Life:

Sunday is Maisey’s birthday! I can’t believe this perfect angel was born a year ago. After we lost Bella, I cried every day for probably 9 months. It was really hard on me, and I told myself that if we ever got another dog, I couldn’t get as attached to her. Welp, here we are, and I’m completely obsessed with Maisey.

She is the BIGGEST snuggle bug and loves being held like a baby. She loves playing fetch, walks, chasing butterflies, water play, eating treats very slowly and gingerly, bully sticks, and giving kisses.

I still think about Bella every day – she and Maisey would have been the best of friends – but I’m so thankful that Bell sent this amazing girl to keep us company. If you have any dog cake recipes you love, please send them my way!! We’re also considering the classic rotisserie chicken cake.

(LOOK HOW LITTLE SHE WAS)

New coffee maker! I put the call out on Instagram for ideas for a new coffee maker because our Old Faithful (it was 15 years old!) finally bit the dust. I got a lot of awesome recs, but the most popular one by far was this one. It had excellent reviews, wasn’t super expensive, and we decided to go for it. The coffee is SO good and the first morning I made myself a decaf almond milk latte, I wanted to cry tears of joy. It was perfect!

I ordered more decaf pods, but if anyone has any ideas for organic pods we can purchase, please lmk. I’ve Googled a bit and haven’t found anything that fits this model. I think you can only use this particular brand, which is the only downside. Coffee is a heavily-sprayed crop and tends to be higher in mold, so I try to get organic for daily use.

Read, watch, listen:

You have to watch this video of a dad watching Princess Diaries for the first time haha.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s podcast episode with Dr. Flynn here!

The best Trader Joe’s snacks.

Rachel Zegler is SO insanely talented.

“Your inner strength is more powerful than your thoughts.”

Beauty + fashion:

Swimsuit shopping! Here are some of the cute ones I’ve found: the print on this one is gorgeous, got this suit last year and love it so might need another color, these flattering bottoms with one-shoulder top, this classic coverup.

Not too late to order Mother’s Day gifts! Lots of ideas here.

Obsessed with these Vuori rompers. The fabric is a dream and they look cute around the house, or out and about with a jean jacket and low-top sneakers. I can already tell this will be my travel uniform.

Fitness + good eats:

My inbox has been filled with messages from friends who are looking for strategies to balance their hormones. Their workout and nutrition strategies aren’t working the way they used to, they feel fatigued throughout the day, and they don’t know if their nutrition and fitness routine is in alignment with their goals.

Our lifestyles can great impact hormone expression, metabolism, and how we feel (!), and I’m thinking about doing an emergency Total Body Reset round. (We have over 150 people on the wait list after our last round, so we don’t think we should wait until fall like we originally planned!) TBR is 6 weeks of group coaching with me and Mia, and we dive into strategies for getting your energy back and happy, balanced hormones. If you know you’re interested, send me an email gina@fitnessista.com with the subject RESET and I’ll make sure you get the info first!

Some feedback from our last round:

Happy Friday, friends!

xoxo

Gina

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102: The health effects of stress and tips for managing stress with Dr. Patrick Flynn

Hey hey! SO excited for today’s podcast episode because it’s with a person that I respect greatly and have learned so much from him over time: Dr. Patrick Flynn! OG blog readers will remember Dr. Flynn from the days when I was trying to get pregnant with Liv. He became a member of my health team and helped me rebalance my hormones. I’ve worked with him on and off for the past 12 years! He has so much knowledge to share and I was thrilled when he said he’d come back on the podcast for another episode. You can check out our last episode together here!

102: The health effects of stress and tips for managing stress with Dr. Patrick Flynn

Today we’re chatting all about STRESS and its impacts on the body. Stress is so prevalent in our fast-paced and busy lifestyles, and it’s a great reminder to slow down and try to mitigate the harmful types of stress when we can.

Here’s what we talk about in this episode:

– What effect does stress have on the body and different types of stressors

– How much does stress affect a person’s health?

– Examples of stress and how it affects people differently

– Why is stress not a big topic in modern medicine?

– Dr. Flynn’s approach to dealing with stress

– Who is in control when it comes to stress?

and so.much.more.

Here’s more about Dr. Flynn:

Dr. Patrick Flynn, DC is the founder of The Wellness Way clinics. In his youth, he experienced a series of events that led him to discover immune and neurological issues. This discovery prompted Dr. Flynn to begin his health journey, define his life purpose, and initiate the pursuit of his education.

It ultimately led him to his dynamic career, where he has created a totally different approach to healthcare. He has attended numerous colleges and taken countless classes from prestigious learning institutions including Palmer College of Chiropractic, National Health Sciences, and the Harvard Medical School HMX fundamentals online certificate program in immunology, all of which have honed his focus on hormones and the immune system.

Dr. Flynn is the bestselling author of the book, I Disagree. His wildly popular public seminar, The Hormone Connection, has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people. He has trained thousands of doctors and his network is now comprised of over 80 clinics around the world.

Resources from this episode:

If you don’t have the famous sauna blanket already, it’s one of my favorite things ever and feels SO good. Check it out here and use the code FITNESSISTA75 for $75 off!

Join us for Fit Team! You can try it out here for just $7. I’ve extended the promo through tomorrow just so you can get May’s workouts and be ready to go this weekend! If you are looking for a phased workout plan based on results (build muscle, lose inches, feel energized and excited about your routine!), this is your chance.

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. The grilled cheese and rustic tomato soup was amaaaaazing.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. The green juice and gold powder are my favorites! I recently fell in love with Harmony and drink it like a hot cocoa in warm almond milk or add it to my smoothie.

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.

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CBD Oil – Review

I FIRST learned of CBD oil about a decade ago

My first exposure to CBD oil was from my good friend Ari Whitten.  You know “Ari” if you have been following me for a few years because Ari and I go way back… it started at the gym years ago when we became great friends and then we started training together.  Our training sessions turned into therapy for me as I would end up asking him a million questions about every ache or pain I had and he ALWAYS had the solution. I found him BRILLIANT in all things health related!

We ended up co writing a few ebooks together, and over time he earned the title as “my guru” for all things new and cutting edge in health and in the energy space. I would learn something and then go to Ari for validation that it was good haha (he basically has Ghandi like power with me on this stuff!)  It became a running theme anytime I shared something new I learned with my husband Brooks, I would say it is “Ari approved!”

Ari knows me well and knew that I am someone who has dealt with ADHD and anxiety my whole life. He is the first one who taught me about Red light therapy, blue light blocker glasses and much more.

CBD OIL?

Ari recommended I try CBD oil and I hesitated. Why did I hesitate? Because I am a worrier (ummm hello anxiety!) and I knew it was derived from marijuana (illegal in CA at the time) and although I knew CBD did not contain THC (the part of marijuana that makes people high) I was afraid to try it. And again, remember I said “anxiety?” Well, I worry about lots of stuff, especially stuff like this.

Well, after my husband Brooks spoke with Ari, he was open to looking into it further.  After all, if anybody knows my struggles with ADHD and ANXIETY it is him…heck, he is the one living with me!  He went on a hunt to learn more and get a quality product for me.

The FIRST bottle of CBD oil he bought me was $900!

YEP $900!!  Crazy I know. AND it tasted like dirt. Seriously like dirt.  I haven’t really eaten much dirt, or any for that matter, but it is how I would imagine it would taste.  lol

I learned to embrace ‘the dirt’ as it WORKED!!  It tasted like dirt, and was pushing $1000 a bottle…but it WORKED FOR ME!!  So I sucked it up and took my ‘expensive dirt CBD’ on a daily basis.

I mixed it into smoothies, held my nose as I dropped it down my throat, etc… But so gross.  When I DID get past my aversion to the taste and actually take it, it worked like some sort of magic miracle oil.

My mind would calm.  Stress would melt away and I could focus.

However, the taste was SO GROSS and the price point was stratospheric…I had to find a better solution!

Sadly…it took YEARS for me to find a viable solution that WORKED like the original CBD oil, yet was palatable.

The next step came a few years ago when I was talking with my friend Angie Lee and learned that she had her own CBD line.  I tried it, and I really liked it as it was a massive improvement over the $900 “dirt” I had been using.

Now, I am someone who has dealt with ADHD and Anxiety my whole life!

In addition, with my recently ruptured disc three years ago, torn bicep AND Broken food (I know I know, what was with me and injuries!)  which added “chronic pain” to my symptoms.  I really needed my CBD oil! Hello PAIN relief! I need you!

As you are probably aware, my nutrition is pretty dialed in for the most part.  Yes, I have my moments, but all in all, I keep it pretty clean, and anti-inflammatory.  Besides, as a best selling author of TWO nutrition books, I can’t use “ignorance” as an excuse.

I don’t do dairy or grains, but even with the cleanest of anti-inflammatory diets chronic pain still happens (not as severe as if I ate a traditional American diet BUT it still happens).

Traditional medicine has prescribed me all sorts of “prescriptions” over the years and the list of side effect with those thing are very scary to me (ie produced anxiety). Although I HAVE dabbled with prescription medication at times, I have always searched for natural remedies first…that WORK!

There are many supplements I include daily (like turmeric and fish oil) and will continue to but the WONDER supplement I am obsessed with is CBD oil.

So now,  I am telling you… GO TRY THIS STUFF!  It is legit…the best tasting, best smelling . best WORKING CBD product line that I have encountered!

My absolute FAVORITE are the Soul CBD 25 mg gummies

What can you use CBD oil for?

What can’t you use it for? Haha. Seriously though! You can use it for pretty much anything and everything . It is the miracle supplement. Legit. Miracle supplement. It basically has a better PR firm than KALE and TURMERIC too haha.

CBD oil for Pain Management

CBD oil is know to reduce or even alleviate the symptoms of SO MANY ailments. CBD is different than prescribed pharmaceuticals! Where prescriptions come with a whole long scary list of side effects and sometimes even a risk of addiction, cbd oil typically has NO side effects!

CBD Oil for Anxiety

Over 40 million Americans are diagnosed with “anxiety” This is a serious condition that can cause insomnia, excessive worry, panic attacks, high blood pressure, gastrointenstial problems and more. Prescription pharmaceuticals can alleviate some symptoms BUT with those prescriptions comes a whole host of side effects. CBD is a very mild and effective  way to take the edge off of anxiety without the list of side effects you see with prescription drugs.

CBD for STRESS (physical and emotional)

CBD has a very favorable impact on those suffering from anxiety. This includes PTSD, Social Anxiety, OCD, and even isolated panic attacks. Those that suffer anxiety and use CBD oil regularly have even found their symptoms to disappear completely over time.

CBD Oil for Sleep?

This is your new best friend. For real. Replace your over the counter things that make you drowsy and cranky the next day with this. This will offer you relief with your overall sleep quality.

The legality of CBD oil?

I know that first time users are always concerned about this! I was! Legal CBD oil is made typically from HEMP which is part of the same plant family as Marijuana but that is the only similarity! The major difference? No THC (that is the psychoactive ingredient in Marijuana). CBD is not psychoactive and is legal in most states.

Ready to try it?

The CBD I exclusively use is Soul CBD

Click on the image below and it will re-direct you to the full site with more info! Or GO HERE TO ORDER NOW 

 

 

 

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A sample day of balanced eats from an RD

Not sure how to balance your plate or what a balanced and nutritionally-dense day of eats looks like? Here are some ideas from a Registered Dietitian. 

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a wonderful morning! I’m off to the girls’ school for a couple of hours, catching a workout, and then putting the final touches on next month’s Fit Team workouts. I hope you have an amazing day!

For today’s post, I’m sharing a sample day of balanced eats! Balancing a plate is something that took me a while to figure out. When I was just getting started in my health journey, I was eating a lot of lonely carbs and skimpy meals, which often left me feeling hungrier and more tired throughout the day.

I finally learned how to incorporate protein, veggies, carbs, and healthy fats in my plate, and noticed that I had much more energy, I felt satisfied, and FINALLY saw results and fitness gains. I also learned the power of having REAL meals instead of micro-meals throughout the day. A 500-600 calorie breakfast keeps me satisfied throughout the morning sooooo much better than the 300 or so calorie breakfasts of the past.

I reached out to Mia to see if she’d mind putting together a day of “ideal” eats: satisfying and nutrient-dense meals.

Here’s what she put together! I enjoyed these meals myself so I could take some pics and report back. 🙂 Worth noting here that I order the grain-free granola and Siete tortillas from Thrive Market, including a ton of other pantry essentials and staples. My link gets you 40% off your first order!

A sample day of balanced eats from an RD

Early morning pre workout:

1 scoop protein powder & 1 banana

You want protein and simple, easy to digest carbs for a workout. Leave the fat for afterward so it doesn’t slow you down!

Breakfast 8am:

3 egg omelet with sautéed veggies (peppers, onions, mushrooms & asparagus), cooked in butter and sprouted sourdough bread

1/2 cup cottage cheese with blueberries & strawberries

Coffee with cream

Enjoy a big breakfast full of those nutrient dense eggs, protein, fiber and healthy fats! A small bit of carbs afterwards is ideal so the protein and fiber can balance the blood sugar.  Coffee always last, as caffeine is an appetite suppressant and can interfere with proper ghrelin signaling.

Lunch at noon:

White chicken chili made with bone broth

Avocado

Siete tortillas

Breakfast and lunch should be the two largest meals of the day. Front load the protein and calories to help with satiety and balanced blood sugar all day.

Afternoon snack 3pm:

Full fat Greek yogurt (Since I don’t do reg yogurt, I just mix cashew yogurt with protein powder to up the protein content)

Berries

Grain-free granola

If you need an afternoon snack, I like reaching for a greek yogurt and berries with a garnish of grain-free granola or a snack plate of deli meat and cold veggies! Again, protein first and balance the blood sugar. 

(Example 176 why I don’t blog my meals anymore lol.)

Dinner 5:30pm:

Grass-fed meatballs

Whipped potatoes

Roasted carrots & Brussels sprouts in butter & coconut oil

(I had some gluten-free baguette with butter and salt instead of the potatoes)

Button up the day focusing on protein and fiber with a small amount of carbohydrates thrown in. Again, this meal is a great balance of protein, healthy fats, fiber and garnish of carbohydrates.  If you’re not very active after dinner, consider mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes or have a smaller portion.  Earlier dinner for a 9pm bedtime will help with overnight blood sugar regulation and restorative sleep.

So, tell me friends: what’s on the menu today? I’d love to hear if you have any healthy meal ideas you’re loving lately!

Here are some of my go-to healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas and kid-friendly meal ideas.

Have a great day and I’ll see ya in the morning with a new podcast episode!

xo

Gina

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March Breakthrough VIP Weekend in San Diego

Do you make space for yourself to reflect and dream a priority?

 

I got to be the vessel for 13 amazing humans recently to reflect, unwind, take care of themselves and for THEM to breakthrough “false assumed truths” that were in the way! If you don’t know what a false assumed truth is (yet) it is anytime we have a belief that is stopping us from getting to the next level of our goals. Things like a diagnosis and what that may or may not mean for us, our AGE and what society conditions us to believe aging has to mea, financial situations and our belief around our earning potential, and more.

What I LOVE about the VIP in person get togethers is it is experiential. What that means is that instead of just watching a video series, reading a book, or taking a course we are IN the process for several days. EXPERIENCES, especially ones that use all of our senses, truly make a mark on us. Transformation is born from these types of experiences.

Every group I curate is totally different.  The commonality at all of them? We move our bodies, we nourish with the most amazing organic, healing foods, we bond with new friends , we have a LOT of fun and most importantly, we have epic BREAKTHROUGHS!

Their weekend will never be forgotten.

Some of the highlights from the most recent VIP weekend…

 

The food from two world class chefs was EXTRAORDINARY! We ate, and ate again many many times…AND released weight while doing so!

 

All of my VIP guest were showered with gifts from so many amazing partners

 

Popflex Active gave us amazing yoga mats and extra large water bottles! These were so perfect after yoga with Kim from the one love movement!

V Shred Clothing (Use code NatalieJ20) provided us with some fun leggings! We lived in active wear the whole weekend!

Fitplan App provided us with shaker bottles and workout bands! These were so perfect for our workouts!

Katya Love Skincare (Use code NatalieJill if you would like to experience this line! ) was a TRUE HIT! Her oil is something I swear by! The group loved the transformation camera ready oil!

Good Sam Foods provided us with SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE!

Chalene Johnson provided every guest with her signature PUSH JOURNALS, her 131 method book and here new Sleep Gummies

Angie and Mike Lee provided us all with some incredible goodies from SoulCBD (Use Code NatalieJill)

I can’t wait to bring the next epic group together! Do you want to attend our next VIP weekend? GO HERE to apply! 

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Tips for getting the most out of Nutrisense and how to use it

 Sharing some tips of using Nutrisense and how to get the most out of it! I was gifted my Nutrisense CGM sensors, and this post is not sponsored. My code to try it out is GINA50 for $50 off  <— not affiliate, just wanted to share a discount with you all.

Hi friends! How’s the day going? I have back-to-back client calls today and am looking forward to Taco Tuesday with the fam. I recently put on a new Nutrisense CGM and thought it was time for an updated post! Fun fact: my CGM assured me that my body does indeed LOVE Mexican food. Tacos, rice, beans, guac, margarita: NO SPIKE. It’s literally in my blood. 😉

Tips for getting the most out of NutriSense and how to use it

I first wrote about my experience with Nutrisense here but knew that there was a LOT more I wanted to share on the blog, especially since I have a Nutrisense and CGM expert at my fingertips. I reached out to Mia because she’s worked with Nutrisense to see if she’d mind sharing some tips on how to use your CGM, run experiments, and any extra tips she could share. I’m so happy that she put together this amazing post for you!!

(Ps if you don’t have a Vuori romper yet, they are life changing.)

Getting started

How to apply your Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)

I took a quick video of my CGM application so you guys could see it again in action, especially since I’m more comfortable doing it now. You guys. I’m the biggest needle phobe. The first time I did a CGM, I paced around my house sweating for days. I eventually did it (with Mia’s help!) because I really wanted the data. Now, it’s nothing. It’s SO easy and painless to insert.

Here’s a video of the application process! Nutrisense uses the Freestyle Libre CGM. Please note that I’m NOT a doctor. This is just what works for me and I’m sharing my experience in case anyone else is wondering about this.

 

Next steps once you’ve applied your CGM:

Step 1:

Download the Nutrisense app and get familiar with adding meals, notes, and scanning your CGM. Play with everything. You can’t break the app and if you do, customer support is always around to help.

Step 2:

Take advantage of the one month complimentary RD support. The NutriSense dietitians are there to support your goals related to health and nutrition. Feel free to ask them any questions as it pertains to the CGM, nutrition, health, your data, food, or any experiments you’re interested in running.  Where else are you going to get access to your very own RD nearly everyday and not a “bot?” They only work business days and will always respond to you within 24 hours on weekdays, so if you need help on the weekend, get your questions in before the end of Friday afternoon. 😉

Step 3:

Communicate with your RD about how often you would like he/she to check in. They can check on you frequently, like every 2-3 business days or weekly at minimum. So, if you prefer to discover on your own, that’s cool too, but they will always pop in once a week to make sure you are doing alright. No food police, but helping you analyze your data so you can find the optimal diet for your glucose levels.

Step 4:

The first week you are wearing your CGM, they suggest that you follow your normal habits and routine, taking note of any spikes greater than 140 mg/dL.  Once they can see your normal behaviors, then the experiment and tweaks can take place.

Step 5:

Week 2, start to have a little fun with your data. You can even ask your RD for suggestions for experiments.  It’s highly recommended that you plan to experiment with a food that you eat as you normally would first and then make tweaks the second time.

An example of a “mixed meal” experiment:

First time: Chipotle bowl with chicken, rice, beans guac and chips.  Order as usual and eat like you typically would

Second time: Chipotle bowl with the same ingredients. This time practice meal order sequencing: eat half the chicken first, then dive into the vegetables/lettuce/guac and finish the rest of the meal as desired, mixing bites of chicken in with the rice and beans. Finish with chips if you’re still hungry.

Third time: Try eating the meal as you normally would but go for a 10 minute walk before the meal and a 15 minute walk after the meal

Fourth time: take a shot of apple cider vinegar in 2 oz of water about 10 minutes before eating.  Eat like you normally would.

Do you notice that one response is better for you? 

If testing single foods and naked carbs, perhaps you will test:

– Various grains like rice, oats, quinoa, gluten free breads, tortillas

– Various starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Does cooked and cooled matter vs. cooked and eaten immediately?

– Various crackers and chips: corn, cassava, seeded, almond flour, etc

– Various sugar free sweeteners: stevia, monk fruit, erythritol

– Various fruits fresh vs. dried : apples, pears, grapes, berries, tropical fruit like pineapple, melon, mango, etc.

Step 6:

If you choose a 3 month subscription, you can continue to experiment with different foods, combinations and meals weeks 2-4 before beginning to fine tune and tweak your optimal meals & foods.

Having the extra weeks to play with foods and optimize meals is a great idea and only provides more insight, considering that sleep, stress, workouts, and lifestyle all influence meal response and recovery.

Did you know that what you ate the day before and the quality of sleep the night before all affect your glucose response for the day? A poor night sleep can lead to higher glucose values the next day and higher evening glucose values due to late meals and carbs at night can lead to a poor night of sleep.  It can turn into a never ending cycle!

If you chose only a one-month subscription, which includes 2 sensors, perhaps consider dividing up your sensors this way:

Week 1- eat normally

Week 2- experiment with different foods and meals

Week 3- fine tune and make any adjustments

Week 4- see your “plan” in action

Benefits of RD support:

Did you choose a 3 month+ subscription? Kudos for you! Renew your RD support after your 1 month ends for only $50. I mean, where else will you be able to find 1:1 support tailored to your goals and behaviors for $50 a month? Don’t worry though, if you decide not to proceed with RD support and find yourself wanting your expert back, you can message him/her through the portal and be connected again!

Having ongoing nutrition support can be super helpful if you are trying to achieve specific goals such as:

– Weight loss

– Body composition changes

– Fat loss

– Hormonal balance

– Optimize your pre- post workout nutrition for performance, endurance and strength

– Work on mindfulness and breath work to help manage stress

– Optimize sleep

– Optimize digestion

– Tweak your meals to make them more glucose-friendly

– Improve your fasting glucose values… you want them between 70-90 mg/dL

The best part about using a CGM:

Learn as much as you can so you can implement new strategies and make changes! Remember, wearing a CGM is providing you with instant feedback so you can make changes to your lifestyle and diet regimen in real time. It is data that you can use instantly to make changes. Knowledge is power. It’s another tool in the tool box to optimize glucose, create metabolic flexibility and achieve health and vitality.

Do you have any questions about using Nutrisense or another CGM? Is this something you’ve considered trying? If you decide to give it a whirl, you can use the code GINA50 for $50 off.

What’s your favorite health device or wearable gadget?

xoxo

Gina

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How old is “too old?”

Remember when we thought 50 was “old?”

Like when we were just spring chickens at 20 and it seemed SO FAR AWAY? If you still think that it’s OLD or too late here is what I want you to know…

 

I’m just getting STARTED at age 50 You see…

At age 32, I moved across county not knowing anyone.

It is true! I had this HUGE desire to live on the WEST coast (I was living in Washington, DC at the time. I had just had a breakup and had this thought: “Maybe I should take this time to plant myself in the life that I want and then build from there” That thought alone prompted me to sell my condo, and move to San Diego. I have never looked back!

At age 35, I had my daughter, which was considered “later” for most.

Yup. That seems SO young right now (as I type this at age 50) lol, BUT for “maternity” that is considered older. I have NO REGRETS about that! My daughter turned out just fabulous and has been one of the biggest blessings of my life!

At age 36, I was 60lbs heavier and financially a disaster and in a crazy amount of debt.

Don’t believe me… see the picture above haha! And yes- so much was going “wrong” in my life. A divorce, becoming a newly single mom, losing my house, the economy collapsing and major depression. But as the cliche goes, ROCK BOTTOM IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO REBUILD! And Rebuild I did… My whole life changed from the “rock bottom” that I now consider one of my biggest blessings in life!

At age 39, I “fitness modeled”, which was considered “too old” for most.

Another “unexpected” goal. As I found the love of fitness and nutrition and shared my journey, I set a goal for myself to “fitness model” at age 39. Truth be told, some of my friends laughed at that goal when I shared it. I put my people pleasing side away and WENT FOR IT ANYWAY becoming not only a fitness model, but gracing the cover of 13 magazines in my fourties!

At age 40, I just started my own business.

As I transformed and people followed my journey, 7 Day jump start was born. 
It not only helped SO MANY PEOPLE lose the weight, the bloat and get their confidence back, but it TOOK OFF. It changed the lives of others but also launched the birth of Nataliejillfitness.com 

 

At age 44, I had my first book published.

7 Day Jump Start became a BEST SELLING BOOK in stores! And two years after that, Aging in Reverse became my second best selling book. I was in my mid fourties!

At age 46, I landed the most significant mag covers and brand deals.

YES at age 46, the most recent age 48. My goal Is to do one more in my fifties!

At age 47, I launched my podcast.

And… it quickly became a top performing one in the personal development space! Today there are over 250 motivational interviews of how others went from rock bottom spots to MASSIVE SUCCESS in their lives!

At age 48, I had three MAJOR injuries that changed my perspective on PAIN.

Unbelievable maybe.. But TRUE!
First the DISC RUPTURE between L5 S1
Then the BICEP TEAR

It was quite the two years for injuries but I learned SO MUCH about how to break the pain cycle!

At age 49, I launched my Sales Coaching Business.

And that took off beyond my wildest imagination. It has brought be back to my CORE strengths and gifts teaching Sales.  

I am just NOW 50 TRULY super clear on my vision, passion and true calling.

I cannot wait to share with you some of what will be unfolding in my 50’s!

Don’t compare others highlight reels to you. You never know their whole journey and “comparison is the thief of joy.” You are not too old and it is NOT too late. By changing your thoughts and actions you can become an entirely new version of yourself. Whatever you are feeling right now know that you TOO can be “just getting started”. Your age, your past, and your current situations do not define you. I get YOU and know that you are just getting started too.

P.S. Want to break out of a rut and experience massive personal growth? Take the FREE 30 DAY EXPANSION CHALLENGE!

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MenuPause with Dr. Anna Cabecca

MenuPause with Dr. Anna Cabecca

Dr. Anna Cabecca has worked with thousands of women one-on-one to help them understand and improve their health and manage their hormones. She’s committed to supporting women so that they can thrive physically, emotionally, sexually and even spiritually as they go through the natural and inevitable life shift of menopause.

Together, they tackle a host of symptoms: fatigue, depression, weight gain, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, hair loss and more. They shine a light on this time of change, sharing truths and finding solutions to restore vitality and joy.

Dr. Anna is proud to have published two best-selling books: The Hormone Fix, a groundbreaking holistic lifestyle program for menopausal woman and Keto-Green 16, a comprehensive nutritional plan to staying healthy and slim, at any age.

She has spent years developing and perfecting a complete suite of life-changing products and programs. Everything she has developed is part of her daily routine, and based on her exhaustive research and never-ending quest to find solutions that help women reclaim their vibrancy, sexuality, health and happiness.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Natural vs Unnatural treatments
• Why it takes more than hormones to fix your hormones
• Secret to increasing oxytocin

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Workouts you can do with kids

Sharing some workouts you can do with kids and my tips for working out with kiddos at home.

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re having a lovely morning so far! WELCOME TO FIT TEAM to all of the friends who signed up this past week! We are so so pumped to have you and I can’t wait to hear your feedback on the workouts. If you missed the details, check it out here – you can try out Fit Team for just $7. New workout go out on Thursday and this promo ends tomorrow! What are you even waiting for??

For today’s post, I’m sharing some workouts that you can do with kids. Until COVID hit, I very rarely worked out with the kids around. I was typically teaching classes and doing my own thing at the gym while they were at school. (Over the weekend, I’d take an off day and then hit up some type of class.) When the world shut down and we were home for months, they definitely started to see me work out. I realized that by having them around, I was setting an example for them in multiple ways. They were able to see that I prioritized moving my body each day, they were able to see that my workouts affected my mood and wellbeing (I feel great and energized after a workout), and sometimes, they’d even join in the fun.

It’s important for me to lead by example that moving your body is a good thing. It’s fun, and it helps to keep you healthy and active for the long haul. There are so many benefits to working out with kids: it can help moms squeeze in exercise time while keeping the kids busy, it can tire them out for naptime or bedtime, it’s a fun and different want to way bond with the kids, and it’s a great way to teach the importance of health and fitness at a young age.

In today’s post, I’m sharing some of my favorite workouts to do with kids! If you have any resources your kids love, please spread the word in the comments section.

15 workouts you can do with kids

Indoor scavenger hunt

This is one that Liv’s PE teacher sent while the kids were home from school. He really did an awesome job of choosing YouTube workouts for the kids that kept them engaged and enjoying themselves. We’ve come back to this one and similar ones a few times.

Cosmic Yoga

Cosmic Yoga is just a treasure. If you haven’t tried this yet with your kids, the workouts are so creative and fun. It’s a nice way to introduce yoga at a young age, and each video has a theme. Try the Harry Potter one!

Peloton Family

The Peloton Family workouts incorporate strength, cardio, yoga elements, and can help improve motor skills, coordination and balance. You do need to have the paid app to access the classes, but I feel like it’s an excellent complement to our Peloton membership.

Dance party in the living room

Workouts, especially with kids, don’t have to be *official* workouts. A dance party in the living room is a great way to get in some movement, shake out some sillies, and bond together. (I also relish in this opportunity to show them my sweet dance moves lololol.) Our kids LOVE Story Pirates if you haven’t checked them out. The songs are catchy, witty, and imaginative. Also, Encanto soundtrack is always a good way to go.

Animal Workout

Bear crawls: Come into a beast position on all fours, with hands under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and hover your knees off the floor. Walk forwards and backwards, side to side. Make sure to breathe.

Mountain climbers: Get in plank position with your wrists under your shoulders. Bring one knee towards the elbow on the same side. Move back to plank and switch to the opposite side. For more of a challenge, move as quickly as possible.

Frog jumps: Start in plie squat position. Bring your hands down to touch the floor (keep your chest up). Jump up, and land, touching the floor.

Crab walk: Have a seat and put your hands behind your hips. Lift your hips off the ground as you *walk* forwards and backwards, like a crab.

Cheetah run: Run in place with high knees as fast as you can.

Inchworm: Walk your hands out to a plank position (spine long, core engaged) and then walk your hands back to your feet and reach up overhead.

Kangaroo hops: Hop side to side with bent knees and hands like you’re a kangaroo 🙂

Beast to plank: Come into a beast position on all fours, with hands under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and hover your knees off the floor. Exhale to press your heels back so that you’re in a plank position. Inhale to bend your knees and come back into beast.

Complete each exercise for 45 seconds, with a 15 second break between moves. Complete up to 3 total rounds.

Here’s a quick video demo of the moves!

 

Superhero workout circuit

Here is a quick Superhero workout circuit I put together that you can do with the kids at home!

Spiderman crawls: For this exercise, you’re going to get low to the ground and crawl! If this isn’t something you normally do (aka most of us), it’s very silly and fun. Make sure to breathe and bend your knees and arms.

Zombie walks: Take alternating steps with straight legs and *chop* your opposite hand to your ankle. Use your core as you lift your legs and exhale on the way up.

Power kicks: Use your core to lift your leg and flex your foot to press it away from you. Keep your chest lifted and torso upright as you lunge. Finish on one side before switching to the other side.

Shuffle and duck: Quick shuffles to the side and then duck down. Use your core to help you. The shuffles can be as quick as you like!

Punches: Come into a low plie squat and punch diagonal up and down on one side. Switch to the opposite side.

Star jacks: If you do basic jumping jacks, make sure that your knees are not caving in as you walk or jump out and in. If you need to, move more slowly until you feel comfortable with form. For an advanced version, try air jacks, only touching the floor when the feet come together and springing back up.

Complete each exercise for 45 seconds, with a 15 second break between moves. Complete up to 3 total rounds.

Here’s a quick video demo of the moves! We had a little too much fun putting this together. Please notice P’s zombie walk.

 

Family fun cardio workout

Go Noodle

The kids go CRAZY for Go Noodle. There are so many fun options but their faves are this one, and this one. Warning that the songs are very catchy and will be stuck in your head for days.

Just Dance

The girls will often do Just Dance for fun. They used to do the free videos on YouTube (and had no clue they weren’t actually earning points), and now that we have an Nintendo Switch, they’ll play Just Dance on the Switch. They have popular top 40s type songs, Disney songs, classic faves, and even holiday-themed songs. Here are a few of their favorites: Prince Ali, Ghostbusters, and Starships.

Spiderman workout

Superhero Kids Workout

The Floor is Lava!!

Disney Yoga Freeze Dance Break

Ok so this isn’t *real* Disney, but it totally does the trick. They did this one the other night and were cracking up the whole time. They loved it.

Kid-friendly HIIT Workout

Fun Workout for Kids At Home

I’m a huge fan of Fitness Blender. They do a great job producing straightforward workout videos that are easy to follow. This is a fun workout with “red light, green light,” “jump or drop” and freestyle. The kids will love it!

Are there any at-home exercises or workouts your kids like to do?

It can be harder for our kids to stay active during the summer because it’s SO hot here, so I’m grateful for indoor options to move their bodies (like the trampoline park) and lots of swimming. 🙂

xo

Gina

More:

Working out with kids at home

Finding time to work out with kids and a busy schedule

Fitness tips for busy moms

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Friday Faves

Hi hi! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend/ We’re headed to Phoenix for a dance competition and then have double birthday parties on Sunday after I train a client. I don’t even care that our weekends are jam-packed again and loving every second. I hope you have a fun weekend ahead and still get time to relax, too!

(P fell asleep during our late-night dinner to celebrate my brother Trevor’s bday)

We also went to see Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (10/10 would not recommend, but the popcorn was excellent), and I asked the girls to pose by the Top Gun poster. I was like, “Come take a picture by Tom Cruise! He’s SO cool! We can send it to dad.”

They were not as enthused. They’re like, “I see a guy in a flight suit every day.”

(Also worth mentioning here that our squadron rented out an entire theatre for the premiere and “costumes are encouraged.” I can’t wait. Even though the guys will be heckling at the screen and pointing out all of the inaccuracies the entire time.)

Before I get into the Friday Faves fun, I’m excited to announce the winner of the 100th podcast episode giveaway!

Congrats to Bonnie! She’ll be getting Sakara meals, Beautycounter goodies, Fit Team membership, and a custom movement assessment and nutrition guidelines

Stay tuned for more amazing giveaways, and can you sneak in a last-minute Inside Tracker entry here, too!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Read, watch, listen:

 Things I’ve learned from diets I’ve tried. (Just ICYMI)

Don’t forget to check out this week’s podcast episode here! This one turned my world upside down.

Mother’s Day gift ideas!

3 things I realized when I stopped people-pleasing and received.

Powerful ways to improve confidence and self-worth.

Fashion + beauty:

LOVE this Club Monaco dress from RTR Unlimited, especially with white sneakers! One bummer about RTR Unlimited is that many of the clothes are sold out online, which makes it hard to link to things, buuuuut Amazon has a similar dress here. I actually have this one in red and it’s SO cute and flattering. They have a ton of colors and it’s only $32 right now.

I’m currently on a mission to find a swimsuit that is NOT cheeky. I’ll find a cute style, then look at the booty coverage and see that it’s a thong haha. The current styles are very cute, but I don’t need my kids and their friends to see my entire booty at the pool lol. I put the call out on Instagram last night and here are some of the recs I received!

If you have any recs, please send them my way!

LOVE all of the smocked tops that are in right now, especially with high waist jeans and hoops.

Fitness + good eats:

You guys. The Sakara grilled cheese and rustic tomato soup was a dream.come.true. I wish they offered this meal every week! It was SO savory and delicious. Sakara is doing some 30-day resets coming up, which include some amazing goodies (a baseball cap, Pilates collaboration, my favorite metabolism bars, and a 30-day guide), and you can use my code XOGINAH for 20% off, including regular meal plans and their clean boutique items. It’s an awesome little treat to gift yourself!

30-minute at home barre video.

Crockpot lentil soup. Going to sneak in a couple more soup nights before it’s a thousand degrees here.

The new Organifi green juice! It has a light apple flavor, instead of the minty-lemon original flavor. I expected it to taste like an apple Jolly Rancher and this was incorrect. It’s much more subtle, lightly sweet, and very clean and delicious. Code is FITNESSISTA for a discount!

TONS of dessert ideas here for summer get-togethers. 

Happy Friday, friends!

xoxo

Gina

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101: Mineral imbalances, vitamin D, and supplements with Sara Garverick, IHP, PN1

Hi friends! I’m SO PUMPED to be welcoming a friend of mine to the podcast: Sara Garverick.

Her Instagram page constantly blows my mind, and she shares so much knowledge and tips. Definitely give her a follow.

101: Mineral imbalances, vitamin D, and supplements with Sara Garverick, IHP, PN1

Here are some of the things we talk about in today’s episode:

– Her personal background and what made her decide to become an Integrative Health Practitioner (the certs I’m taking right now! You can use FITNESSISTA for $100 off level one, and $250 off levels 1 and 2)

– Excess iron, even for those who may be considered anemic

– How minerals and imbalances affect our hormones

– Vitamin D, and why taking megadoses might not be the right answer

And so.much.more.

If you’re not familiar with Sara, here’s a little bit more about her:

Sara Garverick began building a passion for health and wellness while working full time as a Mechanical Engineer for the U.S. Air Force.  In her mid-30s she learned of, and recovered from, the complicated symptoms associated with post birth control syndrome, through the works of Dr. Lara Briden and Dr. Jolene Brighten.  Over the years she encountered coworkers, friends and acquaintances struggling with various health conditions including low stomach acid, celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, hypothyroidism, gallbladder removal complications, knee replacements, cystic acne, PCOS, post birth control syndrome, infertility and more, and knew she wanted to better understand the body to help people believe their health diagnosis is not something to accept, but instead to improve or reverse.

Bringing her analytical skillset (some might just say engineering and math nerdiness), and additional health science-related coursework from college, she is working hard to marry those approaches with her knowledge of functional medicine, integrative health (IHP Level 1 & 2), personal training (ACE), health coaching, nutrition (Precision Nutrition Level 1), strength training, bloodwork education, liver detoxification, mineral rebalancing and more, in order to help clients rebuild their body, health and confidence.

Contact her on Instagram @sara.ryan.wellness and her website at http://ryancconsulting.com/

RESOURCES:

If you don’t have the famous sauna blanket already, it’s one of my favorite things ever and feels SO good. Check it out here and use the code FITNESSISTA75 for $75 off!

Join us for Fit Team! You can try it out here for just $7.

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. I’m enjoying a shipment this week and it.is.life.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. The green juice and gold powder are my favorites! I recently fell in love with Harmony and drink it like a hot cocoa in warm almond milk or add it to my smoothie. They also recently released a new green apple green juice and it’s SO fruity and delicious.

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.

xo

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